What is the Mediterranean diet? It’s something I talk about a lot, but how is it possible to nail down exactly what it is? Some might say it consists of specific dishes like Greek salad and hummus, but it’s really much more than a list of recipes.
SORBET INDULGENCE: I love anything cold and sweet and am always up for a great sorbet, even if it does mean indulging in a little sugar. Part of the philosophy of eating the Ikaria way is to eat with a sense of balance, and the occasional indulgence makes life pleasant! Fruit sorbets are a good […]
PEPPER PLUSSES! Peppers are really good for us. They’re inexpensive and hardy and they pack a lot of nutrition, especially Vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid and fiber. Red peppers are even more nutritionally dense because the longer they stay on the vine (turning from green to red) the more time they have to […]
A DEVILISH LITTLE HISTORY Boiled eggs with spicy fillings trace their provenance back to those Epicurean Romans, who used to dress their eggs with piquant fillings. Over the course of time, eggs have been stuffed with just about everything, from the herbs, cheese, and raisins preferred in Medieval European cookery to cilantro, fermented fish, and […]
HELPFUL TIP: The best way to store radishes is to trim them, wash them and soak them in cold water for a few minutes. Then, layer them between paper towels in a ziplock bag. Remove all the air and chill. They will stay fresh for a few weeks this way.
HELPFUL TIP: Red mullets can be found in good fish markets. If you’re having a hard time finding this classic Mediterranean fish, you can substitute with 4 whole flounders or with salmon filets about the same weight. You’ll need 4 whole flounders or 4 filets. You can also sear the salmon separately in a frying […]
HELPFUL TIPS You can make this higher in fiber by using whole wheat lasagna noodles, but you’ll likely need to boil them slightly and drain. (I haven’t seen no-cook whole-wheat lasagna noodles.) You can also replace the spinach with chopped kale (it’s tougher than spinach so needs to be chopped) or with Swiss chard or […]
A Little Hummus History The earliest mention of tahini is in a 13th-century Arabic cookbook, which mentions hommos al tahini. Hummus means chickpeas in Arabic. Hummus is arguably one of the world’s most versatile recipes; in its purest form (chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic) it’s everything from a perfect dip for bread or vegetables to […]